The ‘ex-closeted gay jihadist’ bringing meditation to Jakarta

 | 
01/07/2020

When Bagia Arif Saputra was growing up in a university town near Jakarta, becoming a jihadist seemed a natural choice for young men like him, who were steeped in the teachings of Islamic fundamentalism. Less easy was reconciling this identity with his sexuality. “I was living a double life,” says Saputra. “I would go to the campus mosque, try to focus on my prayers … and find myself checking out a guy and thinking, ‘Nice ass’. And then immediately, ‘Astaghfirullah [God forgive me]!’ So then I would have to redo my prayers. It was a vicious cycle.” Saputra, now 34 and openly gay, recounts this serenely at the meditation centre he runs in the centre of the Indonesian capital.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 12/08/2023
12/07/2023
The first openly two-spirit Miss Eeyou Eenou Iskwaau (MEEI) in northern Quebec says they didn’t feel welcome to attend a regional pageant to crown …
Added on: 12/08/2023
12/07/2023
BUCHAREST — When a mayor of a small Romanian town casually mentioned in an interview that she had voted in favor of a referendum that sought …
Added on: 12/08/2023
12/07/2023
Last week, Russia’s highest court deemed what it called the “international LGBT movement” to be an extremist organisation and banned its activities in the …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 12/07/2023
LGBTQ+ activists have been targeted by authorities in Jordan, in what human rights groups are calling a crackdown on free expression. Jordan’s General Intelligence …
Added on: 12/04/2023
Hochemin Islam, a prominent transgender rights activist, was set to speak at “Women’s Career Carnival” on November 24 at the capital’s North South University …
Added on: 12/04/2023
Nepal’s first legally recognized gay couple have vowed to continue fighting for the rights of men and women who are just like them, citing that …